Diploma of Horse Studies

I can’t work some things out, like a course that has honestly helped me to learn about the Thoroughbred industry, has a 98% employment rate for students at the end of the course and offers a scholarship each year to the Irish National Stud having such a low number of students this year. Hence, this post.

I studied at the Wangaratta Campus of Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, Victoria, Australia in 2003/4 completing my Diploma of Horse Studies (Breeding) straight after year twelve. Of the two courses I was considering, this was more appealing as it is actually run on a stud, for 20 students in their first year and 20 in their second, allowing daily hands on with mares, foals, learning to foal down and even handling of two stallions.

There are three lots of work experience, two in the first year: a four week placement over the breeding season and an eight week placement for a yearling preparation and another five weeks over the breeding season in the students second year of study.

Much more practical for someone who wants to work with horses (how can you learn to handle them through a text book?) and a lot cheaper than any university course with near guaranteed employment in the industry as long as you’re willing to put in the work. How can you lose?

Simple – I didn’t. The course also offers a scholarship to the Irish National Stud. I didn’t manage the scholarship the year I finished the course, but did get accepted into the course a year later and paid to do this as international experience was someting I wanted to gain also. Now, I am headed back to work at a stud where I did work experience during my Diploma.

http://www.gotafe.vic.edu.au/courses/course_info.cfm?CID=DHOR-BRE – Diploma of Horse Studies (Breeding)
Duration: 2 years
Location: Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia

http://www.nationalstud.co.uk/Education-Diploma.asp – The National Stud Diploma Course
Duration: 6 months
Location: Britain

http://www.kmc.ac.uk/courses/engine/detailsF.cfm?id=647&type=Full%20Time%20Course&subject=equine%20studies – First Diploma in Horse Studies
Duration: Full Time and Part Time Courses
Location: Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, Dorset, England

http://www.nmit.vic.edu.au/courses/horse/equine_dip_a.html – Diploma of Equine Stud Management
Duration: 2 years
Location: Epping, Victoria, Australia

http://www.eit.ac.nz/study_programmes/
advanced_diploma_in_applied_science_equine_studies.aspx – Advanced Diploma in Applied Science (Equine Studies)
Duration: 2 years
Location: Hawke’s Bay, North Island of New Zealand

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/careers/article.php?aid=48204 – Equine courses at Colleges in South East England.

“All I need to know in life, I learnt from my horse: Heaven is eating at least 10 hours a day…and then sleeping the rest.”

tag: course, australia, thoroughbred stud season, education, united kingdom, england, new zealand, TAFE